Photography: John Force Racing / Gary Nastase / Auto Imagery
Winningest driver in NHRA history officially hangs up his fire suit
YORBA LINDA, Calif. (Nov. 14, 2025) – Legendary drag racer John Force,
16-time Funny Car champion and the winningest driver in NHRA history,
announced Thursday during a media luncheon at his race shop in Yorba
Linda that he is officially retiring from competition 17 months after
suffering injuries in a devastating crash during competition at Virginia
Motorsports Park in Dinwiddie, Va.
The numbers Force accumulated over a career that began in the 1970s
speak for themselves: 16-time NHRA Funny Car Champion (1990-91,
1993-2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2013); 157 event wins; 269 final-round
appearances; 166 No. 1 Qualifiers; 1,460 round wins in competition.
“I really love the NHRA, but I am officially done with driving,” said
Force. “I’ve said so many times, ‘Until this race car kills me,
they’re going to have to drag me out of the seat.’ But the truth is, I
was dragged out of the seat at Richmond and they thought it killed me
then. So, I’m lucky that I’m back walking. They always say never say
never, but I have grandchildren with Courtney and Graham, with Ashley
and Danny, and now Brittany’s retired because she wants to have
children.”
“It’s time for me to retire. I had medical stuff that I had to address
and ‘do I want to get back in the car and get hit in the head,’ and
I don’t. So, I guess it’s official, I’m done. I won’t say I won’t ever
get in a car to warm it up or maybe even make a burnout. Don’t know. I
guess it’ll be the response from the fans. If they cheer loud enough,
I’ll hear you.”
(Photo credit: Gary Nastase and Auto Imagery)
Force will continue to oversee John Force Racing, the 23-time
championship winning organization based in Brownsburg, Ind., and it’s
three champion drivers: Brittany Force, two-time Top Fuel Champion who
is fourth in the point standings in the Monster Energy dragster; Austin
Prock, reigning Funny Car Champion who has a 101-point lead going into
the Finals in the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car; and 2012 Funny
Car Champion Jack Beckman who took over the driving duties for Force in
the Peak Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet SS Funny Car and is third in
the point standings.
Brittany Force announced September 12 that she would be stepping away
from competition at the end of this season to focus on starting a family
with husband Bobby Lyons, Jr. John Force Racing announced Oct. 15 that
five-year veteran Top Fuel driver Josh Hart will be driving for its Top
Fuel team in 2026.
The luncheon was held to promote this weekend’s NHRA In-N-Out Burger
NHRA Nationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.
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